Improvement in octave and manual couplers for organs



` 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. D. PARKER.

OCTAVE AND MANUAL COUPLERS FOR ORGANS.

No. l88,175. Patented March 6,1377.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2..

W. D. PAR KER.

I 'OCFIIAM-EAAND MANUAL COUPLERS FOR ORGANS.

Patented March e, 1877.

UNITED STATES PATENT N E IMPROVEMENT IN OCTAVE AND MANUAL COUPLERS FORORGANS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patet No. 188, 175, dated March 6,1877 application filed December 27, 1876.

To all whom it may conccw:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM D. PARKER, of Worcester, in the County ofWorcester and State o Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in OctaVe and Manual Goupler for Organs; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, whichform a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represent's a viewin perspective of the key-board mechanism of an organ to which myimproved coupler has been applied,

A many of the keys, valve-pitmen, and couplerlevers being removed orbroken off in order to more clearly illustrate the working of thedevice. Figs. 2 and 3 represent detail sectional views taken through thecoupler-platform and its supporting-board in a diagonal line parallelwith the coupler-levers, Fig. 2, illustratin g the position of thecoupler-platform and couplers when "on i. e., ready to produce two notesan octave apart by the touch of a single key; and Fig. 3, the samedevice when the coupler is offi Fig. 4 represents a detached View of thecam-slotted slide-bar which throws the coupler on or off; and Fig. 5, aview in perspective of the coupler mechanism with the key-board,reed-board, and sounding-board removed, in order to illustrate theinternal Construction and arrangement of parts. Fig. 6 represents a viewin perspective of my improved coupler applied as a manual coupler to twokeys of a double-bank organ.

Heretofore several kinds of octave-couplers have been used for thepurpose of causing, by the simple touch of a single key, a note anoctave from the key struck to be sounded simultaneously with the note ofthe key struck; but these are so constructed and arranged as i to leavethe weight of the wire or lever constantly testing upon the button ofthe pitm an, and hence rising and falling with it even when ofi'.

The main objects of my invention are: first, to give complete relief tothe action when off; secondly, to keep all points of contact close andready to move without slack or jarring; and, thirdly, to automaticallyassist in the opening of the valves in order to make the necessary touchlighter than in other couplers.

My invention for these purposes consists, first, in the use of twocoupling-Ievers running diagonally between the key of one note and thepitman of the corresponding note an oc tave apart; secondly, incombining a spring with these levers in such manner that, as theslide-bar is moved in which the cam-groove is formed that operates thecam pin of the swinging platform in order to throw the coupler on, itwill gradually depress the levers, so as to cause the inner end of thelower one to rest or bear firmly on the button of the pitman before thecoupler is fairly on, and hence ready to move the latter without anyslack the moment the key is touched and depressed, it by its pressurealso lessening the power required to move the key; and, thirdly, in anovel arrangement and combination of the platform with respect to thelevers and to the pitmen and their buttons, whereby, when the coupler isoff the inner ends of the levers are kept raised above and free of thepitmen-buttons by the platform, and the pitmen thereby left free to riseand fall without being trammeled by the weight of the end of the levers.Thus the organ is made lighter of touch and free from jarring or otherdisagreeable noise.

To enable others skilled in the art to make, construct, and use myinvention, I will describe its parts in detail.

The keys, key-board, or key-boards, as used in double-bank organs,valves, pitmen, and the Construction of the different parts ofreedorgans generally, are the same as those in general use, and,therefore, require no partie ular description, as this invention relatesto none of these individually, but is confined solely to the coupler andits adjuncts.

In Figs. 1 and 5 my improved coupler is represented as being applied asan octavecoupler, and in Fig. 6 as a manual coupler 7. e., key-boardcoupler.

The coupler devices consist of a platform, A, hinged at its front sideinstead of at its rear to the board B, as in other couplers, and whichis provided with a pin, G, which takes into the cam-slot D, (see Fig.5,) formed in the sliding bar E, and which may be operated in anysuitable way known to organ-builders.

On the upper side --of the-rear end ot' the platform A, ear'its'rearedge, are secured the lower ends of a series of stud-pins, a, the upperends of which are secured to and carry a cap-strip, F, there being onestud-pin for each pairof coupler-levers Gr G'.

Near the front edge 'and upperside of the platform A are seoured acorresponding series of stud-pins, b, the upper ends of which carryanother cap-strip, H.

Upon these stud-pins a and b are mounted, in pairs, the respective endsof the couplerlevers G G' in the following manner: The front ends of onepair ot' levers Gr Gr' are upon one ot' the stud-pins b, and the rearends of the same pair upon that one 'of the'stud-pins a whichcorresponds to the key of a pitman and valve an octave apart. For thispurpose a slot is cut near the front end of the upper lever G, and asimple hole through the lower one G', for the reeeption ot' the studpinb, these openigs being reversed at their rear ends-that is to say, asimple opening in the upper one G, and an' elongated opening for thelower one G', so as to allow free play on the stud-pins to the novingends of` both levers. These levers are arranged upon these guide-pinsbetween the hingedplatform A and the cap-strips F and H.

To the front end of each of the uppe; levers G is appled aregulating-screw, c, it being so arranged as to stand in a line with thev center of its corresponding key.

Each of the lower levers G on its upper side is made to gradually taperfrom near its middle toward each of its ends, and is provided with araised portion, d, at or near the middle, to form a fulcrum, upon whichthe upper lever G bears.

To the upper side of cap-strip F is secured one end of a series ofsprings, e, there being one for each pair of levers G G', the free endsof each of which bear upon the upper side of its corresponding lever G,there being a depression formed on the upper side of each of theselevers for their reception, so as 'to keep them constantly in place.

These springs are made suffieiently long to bear upon the levers Gr at apointin front of the i'ulcrum D, thereby exerting a constant pressureupon the rear end of lever Gr', so that the latter shall always tend,when free to do so, to bear upon its corresponding pitman-buttonf.

I represents the pitnen, which operate the valves that admit the air tothe reeds, and may be coustructed, arranged, and operated in theordinary way. frepresent-s the buttons s'ecured thereto, through whichmotion. isimparted to the pitmen and valves by the coupler-levers G',whenever it is 'desired to connect two octave notes together, asrepresented in Fig. 2.

The slide-bar E, which,'through its camslot D and the pin G, raises orlowers, as desired, the platform A, may be operated in' any known andsuitable manner. A plan of doing this is illustrated in the drawing,Fig.

`5,wherein a pin, J, is represented as being applied to its upper side,and'working in a slot, K, for that purpose. In that'figure, and also inFig. 2, the coupler is represented as being on, and the levers G and G',ready' -when key K is touched or depressed it not only depresses its ownpitman I, and which stands in a line with'and under it, bt at the sametime, through its corresponding regulatin g-s'crew c, depresses itscorresponding diago nally-,arranged lever Gr, and through it depressesthe rear end of its corresponding lever G', which, in turn acting on thebuttonf of the pitman I of the key L, opens its valve, thus sounding thetwo notes simultaneously (and which, as before stated, are an octaveapart) by the simple depressiou of the single key K. i

In Fig. 3 the coupler is represented as being ofi'-- that is to say, theplatform A has been raised by its pin O being forced, by the movement ofslide-bar E, into the upper end of its cam-slot D, the effect of whichis to force up the rear and tip down the front ends of the levers Gr andG', and in so doing removing the regulating-screws c from the sphere ofaction of the keys. This movement also holds the rear end of the lowerlevers G' in a plane above the normal position of the buttons f ot'their corresponding pitmen I, thereby leaving the latter free to riseand fall accordin g as the action of their keys and valve's may impelthem-a point of great practical importance, as'it entirely removes allthe jarring and other disagreeable noises incident to the instrumentfrom the use of other styles ot' couplers.

The great practical importance of the springs e in this connection, asarranged, will also be apparent, as the moment the sliding bar commencesto move, and the platform Ato descend in order to throw the coupler on,the springs e, acting on the levers Gr, cause the latter, asthe platformyields, to depress the rear ends of levers Gr', until they rest firmlyupon the buttons f of the pitmen, and which is accomplished before thecoupler has been fully thrown on. For this reason there is never anyslack to take up when any of the keys begin to move, but on the contraryboth notes commence and end simultaneously with every touch of a key.

In Fig. 6 my improved coupler is represented as being applied as amanual or keyboard coupler, where two banks of keys are used, as indouble-bank organs. The only difierence between the two plans is thatthe levers G and G' instead of running diagonally across from the key ofone note to the pitman of a key an octave apart, as in the one case, inthis case run parallel with the key, their construction and the mode ofoperating them in all other respects being the same-that is to say, thefront end of the upper lever G is operated by its key acting on thescrew c. Lever G in turn acts upon lever G', depressing its rear end,and causing it to depress the pitman l through its button f of thecorresponding note of the key of the bank of keys immediately above it.

Various modes of arranging the springs e, so as to act on the levers G,could be described, as, for instance, by sccuring them at one end to thecap-strip H, but it is not deemed necessary so long as they are made toproduce the efi'ect, substantially as hereinbefore described.

The regulating-screws c, if desired, may be secured to the under side ofthe keys, instead of to levers G, but the latter mode is preferred 5 andso with the levers G and G'. They may be modified in various ways, sofar as their peculiar Construction, arrangement, and mode of applyin gthem is concerned but, as such would not change the principle of myinvention, these modes are not deemed unprotected by this patent, solong as the pitmen of the valves, when the couplers are oi, are leftentirely free and untrammeled from the action of the couplers. And whenthe couplers are on, all points of contact between the levers and thepitman-buttons are kept closethat is to say, without slack-and, lastly,so that the touch required to operate the instrument may be lessened bythe aid of automatic pressure brought to bear upon the pitmen throughlevers when the coupler is on.

v Having described my invention, What 1 claim as new in octave or manualcouplers of organs, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of two levers, G and G', arranged to operate in themanner substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination of a spring, e, with two levers', G and G', arrangedto operate in the manner substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of two levers, G and G', arranged to operatesnbstantially as described, with a platform, A, hinged at its frontside, for the purpose set forth.

4:. The combination and arrangement, substantially as described, of' twolevers, G G', with a valVe-pitman, I, and a platform, A, hinged at itsfront side, so as to act on the ends of said levers which adjoin thepitman, for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination and arrangement, snb-` stantially as set forth, oflevers G and G' with a pitman, I, button f, or equivalent device, and aplatforn, A, hinged at its front side, so as to operate in the mannerand for the purposes set forth.

6. The combination of a spring, e, and levers G and G', arranged tooperate substantially as described, with a pitman, I, and its button f,for the purposes set forth.

7. The combination of a spring, e, two levers, G and G', and a platform,A, all arranged to operate in the manner substantially as described,with a pitman, I, and its tappet or button, f, for the purposes setforth.

8. The combination of the levers G and G with a platform, A, andactuating slide-bar E, the whole being arranged to operate in the mannersubstantially as described.

9. The combination of a spring, e, levers G and G', with a platform, A,and actuating slide-bar, all being arranged to operate in the mannersubstantially as set forth.

10. Tle combination of two levers, G and G', arranged to operatesubstantially as described, a platform, A, hinged at its front side, andits actuating slide-bar with a pitman, I, for the purposes set forth.

ll. The combination of a spring, e, and levers G and G', arranged tooperate as described, with a pitman, I and a platform, A, hinged at itsfront side, and its actuating slide-bar E, for the purposes set forth.

12. In combination with levers G and G', arranged to operate asdescribed, the regulating-screw o, pitman I, slide-bar E, and platformA, hinged at its front side, for the purpose set forth.

13. The combination of a key, k, and its pitman I, with a stud or pin,c, and two levers, G G', arranged to operate upon the pitman I ofanother key, as L, located an octave apart from the other, in the mannersubstantially as described.

14. In an octave or manual coupler for an organ, the combination of thefollowing instrumentalities: A key, K, and its pitman, I; two levers, GG', arranged to operate substantially as described; a stud, c, throughwhich the latter are acted upon by the key; a spring, e, so arranged asto constantly tend to depress the lever G upon the tappet or button ofits corresponding pitman, a frame or platform, A, hinged on its frontside; an actuating slide-bar, E, arranged to operate platform A in suchmanner that the latter acts on the rear instead of the front end oflever G' and lastly, a pitman, I, of a key, L, an octave apart from theformer or actuatingkey, K, s ubstantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM D. PARKER.

Witnesses:

G. W. NGALLS, DAVLD MANNING, Jr.

